Over the past 10 years, the ability to access information via networks such as the Internet has become a normal, accepted part of everyday life. Moreover, the ability to interact with digital knowledge sources is of such fundamental importance that parents and schools have encouraged computer literacy in children of increasingly younger ages, and access to the Internet and other data and information networks is becoming ubiquitous. Consequently, more and more young children are gaining regular and ongoing access to computer and other data providing devices such as tablets and smart phones in typical homes and schools.
This increased Internet (used collectively herein to refer to computer networked sources of data and information as well as newer devices such as tablets, smart phones, and other similar or equivalent devices) use by children creates a challenge for parents, as well as others in supervisory roles such as teachers, who may wish to monitor or filter the information to which a child has access. Further, a parent may determine that a child should spend more time using a personal computing device for one type of use (such as studying or other educational uses, doing homework, etc.) and less time using it for other uses (such as playing games, communicating with friends, accessing social networks, etc.). Unfortunately, modern personal computers, as well as other data providing devices typically do not provide a parent with the controls that would allow the parent to define a policy relating to how a child may use the personal computing device.
There have been some attempts to provide a children safe computing and browsing environment. In some cases, filtering software is provided that enables a parent to block certain web sites from access without a password. In theory, when the parent is surfing the web, the parent can disable the feature or supply the required password when blocked content is desired. Some systems may also include an ability to search for certain words and phrases and block websites that contain those phrases. Using this approach, a child is prevented from defeating the system due to lack of knowledge of the password. However, these systems do not allow parents to receive information associated with a child's use of the network on allowable sites. In addition, current systems lack the ability to provide targeted advertising information beyond the potential interests of particular users, such as specific children, to related individuals such as their parents, teachers, or others such as relatives or persons in supervisory positions.